Cristina Hodgson
THE Leonids is one of the two most spectacular star showers of the year, along with the Perseids, which takes place in August.
The Leonid meteor shower is annually active in the month of November, peaking as of last night, Thursday November 17 until tonight Friday, November 18.
That said, the meteor shower will be visible all weekend and can be observed with the naked eye, as long as the sky is clear.
The shower is called Leonids because its radiant, or the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from, lies in the constellation Leo.
The Leonids are the remains of comet 55P/Temple-Tuttle, which leaves a trail of dust in its orbit and becomes visible when the Earth passes through this debris.
The comet takes around 33 years to make one orbit around the Sun and offers a spectacular meteor storm when that occurs.
This year, the observation of this celestial phenomenon will be favoured by the absence of the moon during most of the night.
As with all astronomical phenomena, they are best observed in places with little light pollution. The following paces are the key spots to observe them in Malaga:
– El Cochino viewpoint
– Serrato Malaga
– Pocopan viewpoint
– Maro Cliffs
– Casasola Reservoir
READ MORE:
- Stargazing: When, where and how to see this year’s Perseid meteor shower in Spain
- WATCH: Impressive fireball streak across sky in Spain’s Andalucia
